23 August 2020
- RSIS
- Publication
- External Publications
- China as an Arms Exporter: The Strategic Contours of China’s Arms Transfers
China as an Arms Exporter: The Strategic Contours of China’s Arms Transfers
China’s global geopolitical aspirations, backed up by growing economic clout, shape the direction and character of its military-technological choices, which includes China’s strategic interests to strengthen its position on global arms markets. Over the past decade, China has been able to accelerate its transition from a large arms importer into a major exporter with a potential to become one of the world’s leading arms exporters; particularly by way of low cost and affordable service, lack of geopolitical strings and upgrade packages. Chinese defence companies are increasingly expanding their bids for weapons contracts, which are often aligned or complement Beijing’s economic, trade and military-technical co-operation packages with select developing countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Indeed, China has been able to enter new markets with next generation military technologies, including Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Nigeria, Kenya, Thailand, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.
China’s global geopolitical aspirations, backed up by growing economic clout, shape the direction and character of its military-technological choices, which includes China’s strategic interests to strengthen its position on global arms markets. Over the past decade, China has been able to accelerate its transition from a large arms importer into a major exporter with a potential to become one of the world’s leading arms exporters; particularly by way of low cost and affordable service, lack of geopolitical strings and upgrade packages. Chinese defence companies are increasingly expanding their bids for weapons contracts, which are often aligned or complement Beijing’s economic, trade and military-technical co-operation packages with select developing countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Indeed, China has been able to enter new markets with next generation military technologies, including Saudi Arabia, Morocco, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Mexico, Nigeria, Kenya, Thailand, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan.
